Multiple different volatile material dispensers are commercially sold and generally include a housing and a refill that is inserted into the housing. The refill generally includes a container portion for holding a volatile material therein. In some dispensers, the volatile material is passively emitted therefrom. In other dispensers, a diffusion element is utilized to facilitate the dispensing of the volatile material. Regardless of the manner in which the volatile material is emitted, once the volatile material has been expended from the refill, the refill is removed by a user and replaced with a new refill.
One type of commercial volatile material dispenser, referred to herein as a plug-in scented oil dispenser, includes a housing and a heater disposed within the housing. A refill for use with a plug-in scented oil dispenser generally includes a container portion having a bottom end and a top end, wherein the container portion terminates in a neck portion at the top end. A volatile material is disposed within the container portion and a wick is in contact with the volatile material and extends out of the refill through the neck portion. A plug or other connector generally positions and retains the wick within the neck. Upon insertion of the refill into the dispenser, at least a portion of the wick is disposed adjacent the heater such that volatile material that moves through the wick is volatilized by the heater.
One of the disadvantages of many of the volatile material dispensers and refills therefore, such as the plug-in scented oil dispenser discussed above, is that each refill has features that are unique or complementary to the particular housing of the dispenser for which it is sold. Still further, each type of dispenser is adapted to accept only a single type of refill having features unique or complementary to that dispenser. For example, all plug-in scented oil dispensers sold by Reckitt Benckiser (“Reckitt”) of England generally only accept refills sold by Reckitt under its Air Wick® brand and such refills are designed to only fit with Reckitt plug-in scented oil dispensers. Similarly, all plug-in scented oil dispensers sold by S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. (“S.C. Johnson”) of Racine, Wis., generally only accept refills sold by S.C. Johnson under its Glade® brand and such refills are designed to only fit within S.C. Johnson plug-in scented oil dispensers. This is generally the case for most commercial plug-in scented oil dispensers and refills therefore. This can cause problems with the consumer, because consumers may forget the brand of dispenser they have and/or have multiple dispensers in their home and cannot recall which dispenser needs to be refilled and/or may prefer different scents, where one is only provided by one company and another is only provided by another company.
In recent years, attempts have been made to solve this problem for consumers. One such attempt that was made was to create a universal refill such that a single refill may interfit with housings of volatile material dispensers sold by multiple different companies under different brands. Such universal refills, however, often have complicated methods of insertion for different dispensers and can be confusing to the consumer, oftentimes leading to incorrect insertion of the refill. Such universal refills also may not provide the scents desired by the consumer.
Another attempt that has been made is to provide an adapter for a refill. The refill, without the adapter, is configured to be inserted into a first housing, but cannot be inserted into a second housing which has different dimensions than the first housing. The adaptor solves this problem by being secured to the refill and, thereafter, allowing for the refill having the adapter secured thereto, to be inserted into the second housing, but not the first housing. Such adaptors, however, can still cause confusion to the consumer and can be secured in an incorrect manner to the refills, again leading to incorrect insertion of the refill.
The present invention overcomes problems presented in the prior art and provides additional advantages over the prior art. Such advantages will become clear upon a reading of the attached specification in combination with a study of the drawings.